Social
Studies Course Offerings
World
History
I.
Course Title: World History 2 semesters 2 credits
II.
Prerequisites: Sophomore
standing is recommended, but not required.
III.
Course Description:
The course is designed to introduce students
to human social systems that have developed from Pre-History to the
age of Imperialism. Students will demonstrate an acceptable level
of world cultural literacy as well as how culture has moves across the
geographic landscape impacting populations as it travels.
IV.
Units:
• Pre-History
• Egypt/Mesopotamia/Near Eastern Cultures
• Greece
• Rome
• Byzantine/Islamic Empire
• India
• China
• Middle Ages
• Renaissance/Age of Exploration
• Pre-Columbian Societies
• Colonization of the Americas
• Imperialism
U.S.
History
I. Course
Title: U.S.
History 2 semesters 2 credits
II. Prerequisites: To take this course as a sophomore, students
should have received credit for
world history or should consider waiting to take this course as a junior.
III. Course Description:
Students will engage in
in-depth study of human social systems that have developed from the
civil war to the modern age and continue to shape our nation. Students will
demonstrate an acceptable level of United States cultural and historical
literacy. It will be expected that students take an active part in
critical thinking through class discussion, considering the events and people
that brought us from the past to present, and how this transformation
came about.
IV. Units:
•
Civil War
•
Reconstruction
•
Western Expansion
•
Big Business
•
Progressive Era
.
WWI
•
Depression
• WWII
•
Cold War
•
Vietnam
•
Futuristic Studies (should time allow)
Government
I. Course
Title: Government
1 semester 1 credit
II. Prerequisites:
Junior
status required. Must have successfully completed U.S. History.
III. Course
Description:
This course covers the three branches of government on the
federal, state, and local level Also a
basic understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the Amendments is covered.
IV. Units:
•
Principles & origin of government
•
The Constitution and federalist
•
Political parities/voters
•
The Electoral process
•
Mass media/interest groups
•
Federal Legislation branch - powers - People
•
Federal Executive branch - powers - job - bureaucracy
•
Federal Judicial branch - court system - powers - people
•
Civil rights/civil liberties
•
State and local governments - systems - people – power
· Students
are required to complete 8 hours community service, 1 correspondence with an
elected official, and attend 1 public meeting.
Economics
I. Course
Title: Economics 1
semester 1 credit
II. Course Description:
This course is an introduction to basic
economics. The basic concepts of money, how it works and its regulation
are examined. Students will complete a 4 week "marriage" unit. This
puts a focus on daily consumer economics. A stock market
simulation is also done.
III.
Prerequisite: Junior
status is required.
IV. Units/Lessons:
• Scarcity
• Free markets
• Public goods
• Supply
• Demand
• Competition
• Business organization
• Labor organization
• Money/history
• Banking
• Stock market
• GNP-GDP
• Taxes — federal & state
• Budget/federal
• Federal Reserve System
Psychology
I. Course
Title: Psychology 1 semester 1 credit
II. Course
Description:
Psychology is the study of individual
behavior. This senior level class is designed to cover the major areas of concern in psychology
(learning, perception, personality and behavior disorders) which will give the
student a basis for understanding human behavior.
III. Prerequisites: Junior status is required
IV.
Units/Lessons:
• Human growth and development
• Personality
•
Intellectual ability
• Process of learning
• Process of thinking
• Sensation & perception
• Motivation & emotions
• Frustration/conflict/stress
• Psychological disturbances/treatments
• Social behavior
Sociology
I. Course Title: Sociology 1 semester 1 credit
II. Course
Description:
In
this elective course students study dynamics and models of individual and group
relationships as well as basic
institutions. Students study topics such as the history and systems of sociology, cultural and social norms, social
institutions, and contemporary
problems.
III. Prerequisites: Junior status is required
IV.
Units/Lessons:
• Culture and social structure/diversity/variation
• Culture conformity - American values - social control -
social change
• Components of social structure - Roles - types of groups
- interaction
• Socializing the individual - agents of socializing
adolescents in society - adults in society - world of work
• Deviance & social control - crime
• Social inequality - stratification - status - poverty
• Race & ethnics - minority groups - gender roles - age
roles - health
• Family - American & other cultures
• Education and religion
• Science & sports as institutions
• Collection behavior/social movements/terrorism
• Population/urban/rural/change -
• Modernization & social change
• Economics & politics as institutions (Time
Permitting)
Current Events
I. Course Title: Current Events 1 Semester 1
Credit
II.
Course Description:
This course will cover a wide range of
subjects and connect to all areas of curriculum. The students will build language,
vocabulary, improve reading comprehension,
critical thinking, problem solving, oral expression and listening skills.
This class will utilize cooperative group instruction, classroom
discussion and debate to increase
development of literacy skills that will help students become informed citizens and lifelong
newsreaders.
III. Prerequisites: Student must be in high school.
IV. Units/Lessons:
·
Watch T.V. News and name anchorpersons
· Know the 5 W’s of news reporting
· Read various newspapers/online news/weekly magazines
· Prepare/Present written reports on selected topics
· Prepare/Present oral reports on selected topics
· Prepare/Present quizzes on selected topics